29.04.

1901: Birth of Japanese Emperor Hirohito – The Ruler during World War II

Photo Credit To Wikipedia Commons

Story Highlights

Historical event:

29 April 1901

After the war, the Americans decided to spare the Emperor Hirohito and his family from war crimes charges. However, there are historians who believe that Hirohito was well informed about the war and that he had real power.

The Japanese Emperor Hirohito who ruled Japan during World War II was born on this day in 1901.

Hirohito inherited the throne from his father in 1926, at the age of 25. He ruled Japan for 62 years, which is the longest recorded imperial rule in Japanese history.

The role of Emperor Hirohito during World War II is a very controversial issue. After the war, the Americans decided to spare him and his family from war crimes charges.

There are historians who believe that Hirohito was well informed about the war and that he had real power, although he was presented as a nominal ruler, not a powerful man in post-war Japan.

After the war, Hirohito lived for almost 40 years, and was not wanted for war crimes. Only after his death, people in Japan began to talk about his responsibility for the war events.

Emperor Hirohito died in 1989, and was succeeded by his son – today’s Japanese emperor Akihito.